Books published by Write Bloody Publishing

These Are The Breaks is the debut essay collection of NEA award-winning playwright, HBO Def Poet, and critically acclaimed "indie" rapper, Idris Goodwin. A rhythmic blend of biting wit and break-beat poetry, Goodwin's prose pulses with purpose. Remixing broken dreams and distorted legacies, Goodwin cross-fades past and present, personal and political: Motown's last vinyl factory juxtaposes against Bronx rap legends battling in open-air arenas; Chicago's Public School system contrasts against Santa Fe's tourism industry; an Egyptian child drowns in the Dead Sea as Nat Turner sprints across Death Valley. Diverse in scope and wickedly satirical, Goodwin's poetic essays sample race, class, and culture, transcending the page with hip-hop musicality. These Are The Breaks is the literary mixtape of our cacophonous times.

In her second collection of poetry, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz serves up a hilarious and uncompromising autobiographical bender about her first job out of college: writing and editing for porn. Whether denouncing the corporate world ("To Whom It May Concern") before lustily joining it ("New Millennial Bad Ass"), or sweetly celebrating love in the face of smut ("Let's Make Out!"), Aptowicz dramatizes the hopes, humor and ambitions of a young poet's first steps into a very surreal "real world."

Writing that flows like a Tennessee Williams stage play, from haiku-size poems giving the reader a huge beauty-affirming smile to longer erotic tales that sink the reader deeper into their backstage seat.C.R. Avery's charismatic second book, 38 Bar Blues, will knock out any reader that opens this musical gem of literature. A clear glimpse into a motel 50 miles out of town, an articulate, descriptive window into the life of a modern troubadour and the courage of a young father trying to keep the highway of diamonds shining while singing the song of innocence.

"It is vital for educators to discover new ways to get students wanting to read and write poetry. These exercises are not intimidating, they are the equivalent of having a really rad English teacher who wears tweed suits and sports "read more" knuckle tattoos." -Rachel McKibbens, "Pink Elephants""This collection provides teachers with a scaffolding for their lessons by offering questions, examples, and writing prompts. This will be a valuable asset in the classrooms of new and veteran teachers alike." -Molly Meacham, teacherHello teachers! We know you work hard. Besides ninjas, you have the hardest job in the world. Between the teaching, the testing, the grading, and the nurturing it's difficult to seek out new materials for your classroom. We are here to help. As poets and teachers, we know the power of the spoken word in the classroom. All you have to do is attend a youth slam or find a clip of one online and you will see the positive impact modern poetry has on our young people. It is able to engage students from any background in a way that classical poetry simply cannot touch. A complaint we've heard from many teachers is that they would love to use spoken word in their classrooms but they are afraid of getting in trouble with rough language and themes. So behold! We asked some of the best contemporary spoken word and slam poets to give us poems that would be appropriate for the classroom.

An amazing collection of new Bible based activities for the whole family to enjoy on Family Fun Night. What is family fun night? A great way to get off your phones and get creative with your family in a fresh and hilarious way.

After losing her sister to heart failure, Karen Finneyfrock was unable to write poems for three years. Her voice came back, whispering at first and then screaming. "Ceremony for the Choking Ghost" contains the sound of that voice returning, bringing poems about grief and its effect on the body, the body politic, memory, and, of course, poems about love. Half poetry, half exorcism, her book calls to all of our ghosts.

In her fifth collection of poetry, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz polishes her obsessions until they gleam. Whether she is exhuming the bizarre ("Cryptozoology" and "A Short History of Unusual Fish"), exorcising her demons ("Hog Butcher of Workshop Table" and "On Why I Shouldn't Read Books"), or celebrating the uncelebrated oddballs of the world ("Little Heard True Stories of Benjamin Franklin" and "Crack Squirrels"), Aptowicz's poetry sings and singes. Everything is Everything illuminates the dark corners of the curiosity cabinet, shining the light on everything that is utterly strange, wonderfully absurd and 100% true.Praise"hilariously spunky... no-nonsense poetry."-Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times "Sometimes you plod through the day, bumping into people, tripping over your own feet. But then there are those remarkable days when you move through the world as stealthly as ninja. The latter is how the poems move in this book. Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz spits in her hands, grabs the sledgehammer, swings it hard, and rings that bell in poem after poem after poem. Everything is Everything is a winning collection chock full of swift, honest, smart, funny, and even tender poems that go up to 11."-Jennifer Knox, author of Drunk by Noon "Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz admits it herself-she's "a fool for the poetry." And I take her at her word. In the Tarot, the fool is wise and exuberant, mystical, clever, tuned into the world. In Everything is Everything, Aptowicz is indeed the divine fool, traveling her United States of Poetry and beyond. She is a poet of Americana-dead presidents (both the leaders and the money), ambitions big and small, ancient history trivia and pop culture, animals, children, impersonators and authenticity. Aptowicz's poems are animated, brimming with celebration. Everything is Everything is a stunning and dazzling book."-Denise Duhamel, author of Ka-Ching!

Ryler Dustin's Heavy Lead Birdsong is a collection of love poems-an old man plants orchards in his own chest, angels write messages encoded in boxcar graffiti, and a dangerous car ride through the dead of winter takes us to the Ice Age. Inspired by science and religion, grounded in subtle humor, these poems transcend modern political sorrows to celebrate the kind of human spirit that can save us.

"Brian Ellis' poems make me want to set fire to my house and run out of the flaming door, through the streets, the fields, up the buildings and across the moon."-Anis Mojgani, author"...every turn and sudden stop is a satisfying lurch in the direction of growing up."- Simone Beaubien, The Boston Poetry SlamHis words shiver, babble, rant and constantly threaten to fall apart under the weight of their own gravity. Ellis' colorful voice is a strong addition to the Boston spoken word tradition. A second-hand microscope examining the fuzzy science of survival, Uncontrolled Experiments in Freedom is a manic and shimmering author at his creative zenith. Filled with tangentially familiar characters-family misremembered, or friends still to be met-all delivered with deft eloquence, frank eye for unlikely detail, and inescapable sense of punk nostalgia.

Illustrated poems to seduce and destroy. The Last American Valentine is a unique anthology of non-sappy love poetry and flash fiction.Poet Laureates, rock musicians, actors, famed prose writers and a few talented American barfly's have been handpicked, hunted down and crammed together with an artist the world has never met. Contributor's Include:MICHAEL MCCLUREJACK HIRSCHMANMINDY NETTIFEERICHARD SWIFTNATHAN WILLET (cold war kids)RICK LUPERTBRENDAN CONSTANTINEBEAU SIAAGNETA FALKMICHAEL ROBERTSMICHAEL C FORDBUDDY WAKEFIELDAMBER TAMBLYNJOHN GARDINERCRISTIN OKEEFE APTOWICZSHAPPY SEASHOLTZROGER BONAIR AGARDLYNNE PROCOPEVICTOR INFANTEDERRICK BROWNPraise"Poems of romantic power and humor...A gorgeously successful union."-OC Weekly

I Love You Is Back sends boldly a cupid's arrow into the heart of young lovers.This book is the second collection of work from internationally celebrated poet, Derrick Brown. Spanning 2004-2006, It includes such popular works such as 'The Victory Explosions," "All Distortion, All the Time," "St. Marks," and "The Last Poem about Anne Sexton."

Racing Hummingbirds examines, critiques, and at times delights in one woman's navigation through the many worlds of manic depression and her struggle to maintain humanity in the process. Jeanann Verlee's award-winning debut collection is a series of narratives, prayers, and conjurings which address gender, sex, race, poverty, heartbreak, and survival with such stark intimacy, you will find yourself living inside. These poems cannot possibly be about you, yet they are. They cross boundaries and reclaim hope. They are as the opening poem suggests, nothing short of communion.Recipient of the Independent Publisher Book Award Silver Medal in Poetry.ReviewsRacing Hummingbirds is a masterful first collection... They are medicine words. -The LegendaryIt's poetry with its teeth bared...completely and unapologetically naked. -PANK Magazine...a roller coaster of imagistic magic. Form, language, allusion, and voice interact, collide, shape-shift, and duel...throughout an utterly arresting mosaic.-Danse MacabreFierce and formidable, Jeanann Verlee is poised to make an indelible mark - much like a razor slashing silk - on what's become a comfortably placid poetic landscape. -Patricia Smith, author of Blood Dazzler and Teahouse of the Almighty...as visceral and searing as it is compassionate and forgiving. -Small Press Reviews...one of the most powerful collections I've ever read. -Roxane Gay, HTML Giant

We Will be Shelter stands as a powerful anthology of contemporary poems that unflinchingly confront issues of social justice.What sets this collection apart is its unwavering commitment to inspiring positive transformation through the art of poetry. Within its pages, beautifully crafted verses take center stage, captivating readers with their evocative power.This anthology serves as both a call to awareness and an invitation to introspection, urging readers to examine their role in shaping a just and equitable world. Through the eloquence of these poems, readers are compelled to take meaningful action, transforming empathy into activism and propelling society toward a brighter future.*Half of all proceeds from this book go to the charity of Andrea Gibson's choice every year. In 2019, a donation was made to This is About Humanity.

Drunks and Other Poems of Recovery pays tribute to the people who saved Jack McCarthy's life.McCarthy's powerful poem "Drunks" has achieved global recognition, spreading across recovery websites and standing as one of the most beloved and widely-read poems on the challenging journey of overcoming alcoholism.In Drunks and Other Poems of Recovery, Jack McCarthy leaves behind a profound legacy for those who played a pivotal role in saving his life. This potent collection possesses the strength to grace both poetry shelves and recovery shelves.